Giving back to our mothers

Posted on Monday, May 6, 2013 at 8:37 am

After nine months of pregnancy, going into delivery graciously rewards our mothers. That’s right they carried all of us around in their bellies for nine wonderful months only to endure a painful birthing process that takes anywhere from three to 36 hours or more. Finally, after all of this they are rewarded with a warm bundle of joy they can call their own.

More accurately, after all their hard work, our mothers receive a crying, screaming, laughing, lovable, and hungry munchkin that is in constant need of a changing or feeding. Mothers wash their children’s clothes, keep them fed, clean their rooms and painstakingly try to keep them on the straight and narrow. Most importantly, though, mothers love their children unconditionally. Moms love their children when they talk back, when they don’t listen, when they make messes and when they break things. When a child becomes upset it is not uncommon for a mother to become upset and when their child is hurt they feel the pain. Moms are the best at taking care of problems; just ask my son he will tell you. He wants to hang out with me to play and have fun but as soon as he is hurt he takes off like a lightning bolt for his mom, who makes everything instantly better.

Being a mother is not an easy job. It doesn’t pay well, the hours are terrible and credit is rarely given when it is due. However, the benefits can be pretty good. I know my own mom enjoys nothing more than seeing my brother and myself grow into responsible and successful adults. As for my own wife her happiest moments are watching our son learn about all the world has to offer and accomplishing all the little feats a child has to endure from crawling, to walking and most recently riding a bike.

Mother’s Day gives us the rare and wonderful opportunity to make a conscious effort to pay our moms back for all they have done for us. The older I become the more aware I become of everything my wonderful mother has done for me. At times it may seem hard to remember all the sacrifices our mothers have made for us. We may fight with our mothers who tend to think they are always right and know what is best for us, which may sometimes be true. Mother’s Day gives us the opportunity to let all that go, the chance for them to be absolutely right for a day and gives everyone the perfect reason to celebrate our strong, loving, and beautiful mothers.